Convertible top



,1 c. s. LAUTENBACH 1 3,216,762

CONVERTIBLE TOP Filed. April 2:, 1964 dar as 5 Zkwwiwd ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,216,762 CONVERTIBLE TOP Charles S. Lautenbach, Rochester, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 362,035 4 Claims. (Cl. 296-117) This invention relates to convertible tops and more particularly to convertible tops of the inwardly folding side rail type.

One feature of this invention is that it provides an improved convertible top of the inwardly folding side rail type. Another feature of this invention is that it provides an improved inwardly folding side rail convertible top having a bow structure movable in a plane longitudinally of the body upon folding movement of the top, and means coupling the bow structure to the side rails of the top in one position thereof. A further feature of this invention is that it provides a convertible top including a first top member movable inwardly of the body, a second top member movable longitudinally of the body and latch means for latching the top members to each other to prevent movement of both in one position of the top. Yet another feature of this invention is that it provides an improved power operated convertible top including an inwardly folding side rail structure, a bow structure movable longitudinally of the body, and latch means for latch ing the side rail structure and the bow structure to each other in the raised position of the top. Yet a further fea ture of this invention is that the latch means are operated in synohronism with the folding and unfolding movement of the rail structures. Still another feature of this invention is that it provides an improved foldable convertible top having a pair of members movable in dissimilar planes and latch means for latching the members to each other in one position of the top to prevent movement thereof.

These and other features of the top of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partially broken away partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodying a convertible top according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partially broken away view taken generally along the plane indicated 'by line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective View of a portion of FIGURE 1.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a convertible vehicle body 20 includes a windshield 22 and a windshield header 24. A convertible top 26 of the inward folding rail type is mounted on the body 20 for movement between a raised position, as shown, and a lowered position, not shown, in order to open and close the passenger compartment of the body. Top 26 is substantially the same as that shown and described in Gilson et al. 3,097,883, issued July 16, 1963 and assigned to the assignee of this invention. Accordingly, only a brief description will be given herein.

The top 26 generally includes a spaced pair of inwardly folding side rails 28, each of which includes a front rail section 30 and a rear rail section 32, with the rear rail sections being supported on the body as will be de- 3,216,762 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 scribed. Since the rails 28 are of like construction, although of different hand, only one such rail is shown and will be described, and it will be understood that the other is of the same construction.

The front rail sections 30 are each pivotally connected at 34 to one end of a convertible top header 36 which spans the body and is adapted to bear against the windshield header 24 in the raised position of the top as shown in FIGURE 1.

A front or No. 1 bow 38 of rigid construction has its ends pivoted at 40 to the rearward ends of links 42,. The forward ends of links 42 are pivoted at 44 to the front rail sections 30. When the front rail sections 30 swing inwardly about the pivots 34 as the top is being lowered, the links 42 swing outwardly of the rail sections 30 about their pivots 44 to allow the bow 38 to move with the top and to be folded relative to the rail sections 30. Rail sections 30 and 32 are pivotally interconnected at 46 by a simple butt type hinge which generally comprises Overlapping hinge butts or plates secured to respective rail sections. Reference may be had to Serial No. 216,- 399, Convertible Top, Lautenbac-h, filed August 13, 1962 and assigned to the 'assignee of this invention, for a showing of such a hinge.

A mounting support 48 is mounted within the top well 50 of the body rearwardly of the rear seat. Preferably, the support 48 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the inner rear wheel housing, not shown, of the body. Support 48 mounts a trunnion bracket 52 which includes a spaced pair of upstanding ears pivotally secured at 54 to the rear rail .sections 32. The axes defined by the pivots 54 lie in a horizontal plane, with each axis extending gen erally forwardly and inwardly of the body in this horizontal .plane whereby the axes converge with respect to each other. Each axis lies in a vertical plane located approximately 45 with respect to the vertical plane of the center line of the body.

The rear rail sections 32 are power operated in -a known manner to move the top between raised and lowered positions. Such power operating means includes an electric motor driving a pair of flexible cables, each of which drives a gear drive unit, as disclosed in the aforenoted patent to Gilson. A screw shaft 56 is threadedly received in each of the gear drive units, and the upper end of the screw shaft includes an elongated slot 58, FIGURE 3. A pivot pin or rivet 60 extends through the slot 58 and pivotally connects one end of a pair of links 62 and 64 to the upper end of the screw shaft. Link 62 is pivoted at its other end at 66 to the real rail section 32 and link 64 is pivoted at its other end at 68 to a clevis 70 which is pivoted at 72 to an extension of the trunnion bracket 52.

The intermediate or No. 2 bow 74 is of one-piece construction and is integral with or fixed to bow supports 76 which rest on rail sections 32 in the raised position of the top. The bow supports 76 are pivoted at 78 to a bracket secured to the body, with supports 76 swinging in parallel longitudinal vertical planes with respect to the body. The rear or No. 3 bow 80 has its ends pivoted to the bracket for likewise swinging movement in parallel longitudinal vertical planes with respect to the body.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, a generally square-shaped tube or latch housing 82 has a bracket or mounting member 84 secured to a wall thereof and bolted at 86 to a flange of the rear rail section 32. A generally squareshaped plunger or latch member 88 is slidably mounted in the housing 82 and a coil compression spring 90 surrounds a threaded shaft or extension 92 of the latch member and seats between the latch member and an apertured wall 94 of the housing 82 to normally bias the latch member 88 outwardly of the latch housing. The latch member is located against the action of the spring 90 by engagement of a threaded cap 96 on the extension 92 with the wall 94 of the housing. The generally conically shaped or blunt nose portion 98 of the latch member is adapted to be received within a similarly received recess 100 of a striker member 102 which is bolted to a flange of the bow support 76. The latch member 88 bolts or couples the rear rail section 32 to the bow support member 76 in the raised position of the top. A cable 104 has one end thereof fixed to the cap 96 in a known manner and the other end thereof secured in the same manner to the upper end of the screw shaft 56 as shown in FIGURE 3. The movement of the cable relative to the rear rail section 32 is guided by a tubular member 106 which is mounted on the rear rail section 32 by a bracket 108 bolted thereto.

Upon operation of the electric motor in a suitable direction to drive each of the gear units, the screw shafts 56 will be shifted downwardly and rearwardly of the body to fold the links 62 and 64 relative to each other and also fold the link 64 relative to the clevis 70 and in turn swing the rear rail sections 32 rearwardly and downwardly of the body about the pivots 54. As the rear rail sections swing rearwardly and downwardly of the body, the rail sections 30 will swing generally outwardly with respect to the rear rail sections about the pivots 46 to in turn fold each of the rails 28. The links 42 swing outwardly of the rail sections 30 about the pivots 44 to permit bow 38 to move generally rearwardly of the body and remain substantially parallel to the top header 36 which also moves rearwardly of the body as the front rail sections 30 fold relative thereto about the pivots 34. During this folding movement of the front and rear rail sections the bow supports 76 swing rearwardly and downwardly of the body in planes located generally longitudinally of the body to move the No. 3 bow to a lowered position.

In order to permit the rear rail sections to swing rearwardly and downwardly of the body and the bow supports to swing longitudinally of the body, the latch member 88 must be released from the striker member 102. Likewise, the latch member should be moved into engagement with the striker member after the top has been moved to a substantially fully raised position. Thus, engagement and disengagement of the latch member and the striker member must be coordinated with the folding and unfolding movement of the top 26. This will now be described with particular reference to FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

When the top is in a raised position, the pivot 60 is located intermediate the ends of the slot 58 as shown in FIGURE 3 so that there is slack in the cable 104 and the spring 90 can bias the latch member 88 outwardly of the housing 82 and into engagement with the recess 100 of the striker member. When the top is lowered, the screw shaft 56 will move rearwardly and downwardly of the body as previously described and after initial slight movement of the screw shaft 56 in this direction, the upper end of the slot 58 will engage the pin 60 to shift the cable 104 rearwardly of the body and in turn withdraw the latch member 88 from engagement with the striker member approximately simultaneously with the start of folding movement of the side rails of the top as the links 62 and 64 start to fold relative to each other. The screw shaft 56 maintains the latch member in a retracted position until the top is almost in a fully lowered position whereupon the folded side rails 26 of the top move to a fully folded position within the body ahead of any movement of the screw shafts 56 so that the pin 60 is disposed intermediate the ends of the slot 58 and the cable 104 is slack in the folded position of the top.

As the top is being moved from a stored or folded position to a raised position, the pin 60 will normally engage the lower end of the slot 58 so that the cable 104 remains slack and the latch member will project outwardly of the latch housing and be located in extended position. When the top reaches a substantially unfolded position and drops of its own weight into engagement with the windshield header 24, ahead of movement of the shafts 56, the links 62 and 64 will shift the pivot 60 into engagement with the upper end of the slot 58 to retract the latch member within the latch housing as the opening of the housing becomes approximately aligned with the opening 100 of the striker member. As the top drops into engagement with the header 24, the screw shafts 56 will continue to be shifted upwardly and will thereafter move the slot 58 relative to the pin 60 so that the cable 104 is again slack whereupon the spring will bias the latch member 88 into engagement with the recess -of the striker member 102.

It will be understood, of course, that a latch member and striker member may be provided for both of the bow supports and side rails if desired. By latching or coupling at least one of the side rails to the bow support, relative movement between the rail section and the bow support is prevented and the top is strengthened in its raised position.

Thus, this invention provides an improved convertible top of the inwardly folding side rail type.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle body, a foldable convertible top movable between raised and lowered positions and including a side rail mounted on said body for movement inwardly thereof upon folding movement of said top, bow support means mounted on said body for movement in a plane longitudinally thereof upon folding movement of said top, and means locking said side rail to said bow support means in the raised position of said top to prevent movement of said top to a lowered position.

2. In combination with a vehicle body, a foldable convertible top movable between raised and lowered positions and including a side rail mounted on said body for movement inwardly thereof upon folding movement of said top, bow support means mounted on said body for movement in a plane longitudinally thereof upon folding movement of said top, means locking said side rail to said bow support means in the raised position of said top to prevent movement of said top to a lowered position, and means for releasing said locking means to perm movement of said top to the lowered position thereof.

3. In combination with a vehicle body, a convertible top movable between raised and lowered positions and including a plurality of pivotally interconnected rail sections mounted on said body for folding movement inboard thereof, operating means for folding said rail sections, bow support means mounted on said body for movement in a plane longitudinally thereof upon folding movement of said rail sections, means locking said rail sections to said how support means in the raised position of said top to prevent movement of said top to a lowered position, and means releasing said locking means upon actuation of said operating means to permit movement of said top to the lowered position thereof.

4. In combination with a vehicle body, a foldable convertible top movable between raised and lowered positions and including a side rail member, a bow support member mounted on said body for movement relative to said side rail member, latch means mounted on one of said members for movement between latched and unlatched positions, striker means mounted on the other of said members and engageable with said latch means in the latched position thereof and raised position of said top to prevent movement of said rail member and bow 5 6 member relative to each other, means for moving said References Cited by the Examiner latch means to unlatched position upon movement of said UNITED STATES PATENTS top to a substantially raised position and movement of 2 320 919 6/43 Falcon 296 117 said striker means to a position wherein said striker means bl b d 1 t h th 1 t h d t 5 3,097,883 7/63 Gilson et a1 296137 is engagea e y sal a c means in e a c e posi 1011 thereof and means for moving said latch means to latched FOREIGN P A'1 ENTS position in engagement with said striker means upon move- 675610 752 Great Bntamment of said top to fully raised position. A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A VEHCILE BODY, A FOLDABLE CONVERTIBLE TOP MOVABLE BETWEEN RAISED AND LOWERED POSITIONS AND INCLUDING A SIDE RAIL MOUNTED ON SAID BODY FOR MOVEMENT INWARDLY THEREOF UPON FOLDING MOVEMENT OF SAID TOP, BOW SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BODEY FOR MOVEMENT IN A PLANE LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF UPON FOLDING MOVEMENT OF SAID TOP, AND MEANS LOCKING SAID SIDE RAIL TO SAID BOW SUPPORT MEANS IN THE RAISED POSITION OF SAID TOP TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF SAID TOP TO A LOWERED POSITION. 